Acoustic Guitar Mixing

[BrandonS]

I'm planning to record acoustic guitar using a microphone. (A Blue Snowball USB Studio Mic, works like a charm.) I've listened to a couple progressive rock CDs to get some ideas for how to mix it, but I'm still in the dark. It sounds like they record one acoustic rhythm and pan it slightly to the left. I'm interested in recording acoustic guitar rhythms including full chords and also broken chords.. I think recording it twice, like you do for heavy rhythms, would be way too hard to have it all line up correctly, so, is it the right method to just record it once and pan near the center? Please help me out again!

 

[Ermz]

Place the mic several inches from the soundhole and turn it towards the 12th fret.

Track all the chord/rhythm parts twice. Pan hard left/right. Scoop 400Hz, boost 3k upwards, high pass at around 100Hz.

Voila. Instant bright, shimmering percussive sound.

Check out 'Man-Made-Death' on my site for an example of this in action.

 

[fistula]

just listen to this - this is the record i've made this sunday
http://www.sendspace.com/file/5xdzp1

no additional effects
just recorded from my guitar di (built in pezo guitar) and the second was mic shure sm58 pointed to 12 fret (where neck meets body)
this are hard panned left and right channels

on guitar the eq was mid - center, bass - max, hi - max, presence - max
on mic pre i've added some bass - for fullness - and thats all

i think that is the answer to your question - the level of di is a litlle bit smaller then the mic track - so you hear panned sound

 

[AStacy2]

Cut off the lows around 70 or so, boost around 8k and 2.5k, double track, SM57 pointed at where the neck meets the body usually works good for me

 

[smy1]

I think recording it twice, like you do for heavy rhythms, would be way too hard to have it all line up correctly

You must be kidding, right? Yes, it's harder to double acoustic guitars than distorted electrics, but that's what is called "skill". An acoustic guitar recorded twice sounds much better than only one track - just like a distorted guitar sounds much better with 2 tracks.

 

[BrandonS]

Yeah smy1, I figured that's what people would say, but I kinda hoped there was a different option. It's not so much that I can't do it, it's just I'm sure I can't do it with 100% accuracy and have it line up perfectly. It will probably sound like two different people playing in each channel...

In Malice's Wake - Man-Made-Death

I downloaded it! It sounds very good, but the chords aren't exactly lined up, as there's a different performance in the right speaker than the one in the left speaker. It sounds good though! And the song is really good, I never heard of those guys but it's pretty cool.

Try this...

So you're saying to record one track from the acoustic guitar output with a cord, and another with the microphone? Do you use direct input for your acoustic or do you have some kind of program in the computer that shapes your tone?

Which method would produce better results? Moonlapse's or Fistula's? That's what is cool about the Sneap forum, you always get different ways to do something but the hard part is figuring out which is best for me to do....

 

[Jackal_Strain]

Try both...

What I usually do is point one dynamic mic at the 12th fret about six inces away. Then I add a room mic, a condenser right next to the players left ear and the line out if the guitar har its own preampm.
Mix to taste.

 

[AStacy2]

Even though double tracking might be hard, I'd say do it. I tracked a really young band once and they couldn't play on time for shit...I ended up having it double tracked but panned Take 1 100% L and Take 2 90% L and then the same thing copied to the right channel. Yeah, it's not the best way to do it, but at least the right and the left didn't sound as off as they actually were.

 

[Suicide_As_Alibi]

Just drown them both in chorus, no-one will be any the wiser

Steve

 

[Ermz]

Yeah smy1, I figured that's what people would say, but I kinda hoped there was a different option. It's not so much that I can't do it, it's just I'm sure I can't do it with 100% accuracy and have it line up perfectly. It will probably sound like two different people playing in each channel...



I downloaded it! It sounds very good, but the chords aren't exactly lined up, as there's a different performance in the right speaker than the one in the left speaker. It sounds good though! And the song is really good, I never heard of those guys but it's pretty cool.



So you're saying to record one track from the acoustic guitar output with a cord, and another with the microphone? Do you use direct input for your acoustic or do you have some kind of program in the computer that shapes your tone?

Which method would produce better results? Moonlapse's or Fistula's? That's what is cool about the Sneap forum, you always get different ways to do something but the hard part is figuring out which is best for me to do....

DI Acoustic sounds like shit. It's the quickest way to aural plastic-heaven.

The reason the two performances on that track sound different is simple... they were two different parts, played differently. The band didn't want to listen to us and double up the chords exactly the same.

 

[KeithRT99]

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=4067790&q=hi

here's a track i did with an sm57 on an acoustic. I double tracked it, and put the lead in the middle for a total of 3 guitars. The two doubles don't match perfectly, but i think i kinda like it that way.

 

[ReliXKeepeR]

Place the mic several inches from the soundhole and turn it towards the 12th fret.

Track all the chord/rhythm parts twice. Pan hard left/right. Scoop 400Hz, boost 3k upwards, high pass at around 100Hz.

Voila. Instant bright, shimmering percussive sound.

Check out 'Man-Made-Death' on my site for an example of this in action.

Your records sound great!
Good job!

 

[fistula]

So you're saying to record one track from the acoustic guitar output with a cord, and another with the microphone? Do you use direct input for your acoustic or do you have some kind of program in the computer that shapes your tone?

Yeah one track from acoustic output and other with mic
on that record is no additional processing - only tracking
this method is almost the same with one with 2 mics

DI Acoustic sounds like shit. It's the quickest way to aural plastic-heaven.

Different guitar electrix - different sounds.

Is my record sounds so bad?


man just try this both methods and see with wich one youll get the better results - try combining them - adding some your stuff - and find the better way for you

 

[TheStoryteller]

Layering is the way to go, even with acoustic guitars. This is part of a song I recorded at home for our last album, in some parts it has 4 acoustic rhythm guitars, exactly like I would do with distorted guitars.

http://fredrikgroth.com/time_clip.mp3

Listen to the part from 01:10 to the end... that's four rhythm guitars plus one melody guitar.

(if you like it or not is a matter of taste, but this is how I do it! )

 

[trym^^]

storyteller: reminds me of symphony x and odyssey,
harmonically and production-wise.

 

[Ermz]

Good stuff as always Fredrik.

 

[ReliXKeepeR]

Layering is the way to go, even with acoustic guitars. This is part of a song I recorded at home for our last album, in some parts it has 4 acoustic rhythm guitars, exactly like I would do with distorted guitars.

http://fredrikgroth.com/time_clip.mp3

Listen to the part from 01:10 to the end... that's four rhythm guitars plus one melody guitar.

(if you like it or not is a matter of taste, but this is how I do it! )

Great sound! This is for your new album, right?

Can you share us, how was the guitar recorded and mixed?

 

[blackbird]

TheStoryteller, it sound amazing-marvellous!
I second the request by ReliXKeepeR how was the guitar recorded and mixed
I'm your fan!

Dimi

 

[TheStoryteller]

Thanks guys! It's a song from our last album Underworld actually.. it's called "Your time has come", and you can listen to the whole song at our Myspace place: http://www.myspace.com/thestorytellersweden

The guitars were recorded with an ADK A51st microphone, about 15 cm (half an inch?) from the 12th fret, aiming slightly towards the body of the guitar. The vocals were recorded with the same microphone. The preamp is a Behringer T1953 Tube Ultragain, which actually is really good.

I used some Waves plugs for the guitars during mixing; one of the EQ's for highpass and some treble boost, and the renessaince compressor on the guitar bus. All vocal tracks has Voxengo Voxformer on them. The reverb is FreeverbToo.

 

[TheStoryteller]